Arcay Chocolates

The shop sits on the 3200 block of O Street NW, a few steps above the main Georgetown corridor on a block that is mostly rowhouses and brick. The building is modest from outside, no sign competing with the neighbors, and the interior is compact. Hand-painted botanical murals cover the walls, done by Anabella Arcay herself. Through a glass panel set into the floor, you can see directly into the production kitchen below, where the bonbons are actually made. It is the kind of detail that changes how you look at what is in the display cases.

Anabella Arcay and her husband Dario Berti founded the company in Caracas in 2006, starting in a corner of their home kitchen. By the time they left Venezuela in 2017, political and economic instability had made staying untenable. Their daughter was already in Washington, and the family relocated here. Dario, a Washington College of Law alumnus, handles operations and client relations. Daughter Bella runs marketing and social media. Son Tomas assists with assembly and workshop logistics. Anabella makes the chocolate. The whole enterprise fits inside one family.

The product line centers on hand-painted chocolate bonbons in more than two dozen flavors. Lemon basil. Blackberry cardamom. Passion fruit. Tamarind cherry blossom. Rosemary sea salt. Each piece is architecturally precise, painted and assembled by hand, and the flavors hold together rather than competing. A box of six runs 7; a box of nine is 6. Beyond the bonbons, the shop carries chocolate bars made with single-origin cacao, hot chocolate bombs, ganache spreads, and chocolate-covered dried fruits. They also produce catering desserts for events across the Washington metro area.

Arcay has collected 42 medals at the International Chocolate Awards since 2012, along with seven World Chocolate Master accolades. Before opening a Georgetown storefront, the family ran a kiosk at Union Market, building a Washington customer base in the years after their arrival. The Georgetown location opened in late 2023, taking over a space on O Street that had previously housed the original DC Cat Cafe. In Venezuela, Arcay bonbons were prestigious enough that elaborately stacked pyramids of them sometimes served as the centerpiece at receptions, standing in for a wedding cake.

The shop closes at 5pm on weekdays and at 4pm on Sundays, which catches visitors off guard if they are planning an afternoon visit. Saturday, with hours until 6pm, is the most forgiving day. Budget time to browse, because the range of flavors rewards it and the staff can help you navigate by preference. For gifts, the boxes travel well and come in sizes suitable for a small thank-you or a substantial occasion. Workshops are offered periodically for those who want to learn the technique; check the website for current dates.